Kerry’s response or non response to Swift Boat probably would not have affected things either way.His belated response did wha an early response would have done- brought up more testimony and more evidence against him. If the charges are false you refute them forcefully once, echo it briefly once or wice and go on to atack, of better, do what Reagan did. You put forward three +- BIG things you intend to accomplish and hammer on them without much responding to attacks, except humorously. But first, you have to have big things you want to accomplish and have to know how to put the goals into a few forceful words with occasional explanations for side play. Romney has no understanding of that sort of thing at all. He is more of an accountant who wants to get the details right, whatever might be the big picture.
No candidate ever puts out in detail how he intends to go about implementing his programs and for good reason. The opposition will pick apart the details and turn a positive idea into a negative. This is the exact reason the media wants Romney to be more specific and he is smart to hold back on the details for now.
Remember Nixon and his “secret plan” to end the war” Now I certainly don't agree with the way we basically ran out of VN but during the campaign polls were heavily against further or ongoing involvement and Nixon played off that.
Deficits, jobs and the economy are today's top priorities and ALL polling I have seen shows Romney ahead in the ability to deal with them.